The present invention relates to apparatus for deboning poultry pieces and more particularly to a unique apparatus for removing the meat from an elongated bone of a poultry thigh piece, leg and the like.
Various methods and machines have been used to separate an eviscerated poultry carcass into its various component pieces or parts for subsequent processing, packaging and sale. The separating operations typically involve removal of the meat components from the carcass. Such cut-up and deboning operations have been and continue to be performed by hand.
In order to increase productivity and reduce costs, manual operations have been replaced by various automatic cut-up and deboning machines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,421, entitled POULTRY LEG/BACK PROCESSOR, issued on May 31, 1983, to Eugene G. Martin discloses an apparatus for automatically separating the poultry leg sections from the back of the carcass. After removal of the leg sections, the meat, if desired, is stripped from the bone by a subsequent deboning operation.
Various machines have been developed fro deboning poultry legs, thighs and the like. One example may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,463, entitled SINGLE STATION ANATOMICAL SECTION DE-BONING MACHINE, issued on May 4, 1982, to Eugene G. Martin. The machine disclosed in this patetn includes a girpper blade assembly which engages an end of the bone and a set of blades through which the bone is pulled. The apparatus, in effect, pulls the bone out of the meat portion or peels the meat back along the longitudinal axis of the bone.
Another approach to deboning poultry parts may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,112, entitled AUTOMATIC POULTRY DEBONING APPARATUS, issued on Sept. 6, 1983, to Gasbarro. The apparatus disclosed therein employs a ring-like array of high pressure fluid streams to separate the meat from the bone portion of a poultry leg and thigh. The streams are disposed along the path of travel of a conveyor and impinge upon the leg or thigh portion to remove the meat.
The apparatus disclosed in the cross referenced, related application referred to above includes a conveyor for moving the poultry piece along a longitudinal axis. A peel-down assembly extends along the conveyor and defines a passage or slot through which the piece passes. The meat is peeled or folded along the sides of th ebone until the meat is secured to the bone principally along the lower longitudinal edge thereof. A cutting assembly positioned downstream from the peel-down assembly severs the meat from the bone along this longitudinal edge. Scraper knives and scoring knives are positioned along the conveyor to assist in separation of the meat from the bone.
A need exists for an improved deboning apparatus which readily accommodates different types of poultry, such as chicken or turkey, while readily adjusting for different size parts. Desirably, an improved apparatus would be of reduced complexity from the prior machines while achieving improved yield or removal of meat from the bone and eliminating problems heretofore experienced with excessive water absorption and the like.